OKW - No Luck Booking at 11 Months!

[fishermouse]

I was under the impression that you can't cancel specific days without cancelling the entire reservation In fact, it was a MS rep that told me this a few weeks ago! Was I misinformed? I was booking a room for my MIL, and she wasn't certain which day she would arrive. I figured it would be safe to reserve for an earlier night and then just cancel the first night if it didnt work with her schedule. I was told that if I did this they would have to cancel the entire reservation and start over.

It's a shame people always have to beat try to beat the system, I'm sure if your not correct about the cancellation policy DVC will change it when they see enough people "walking" reservations. Then folks who really have to canx a day for a legitimate reason will be penalized. Also hear people talk about how they make dinner reservations at 3-4 resturants then decide at the last minute which they want to use. I hope your MS rep was right and DVc puts a stop to this, then we can all play by the same rules.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

You were definitely misinformed about cancelling days. I usually book 8 nights at Christmas because I am not sure of when I will get the best plane tickets there. We fly Southwest and they do not open at that time period. I usually cancell a day at one end or the other when I book our plane reservations. The MS rep I talked to said this was a good idea to do because I might not get the night I need at a later time.

Walking works only IF you have the extra points. You don't want to borrow points to make this work because you can't put them back into that use year. The 11+ 7 only means that at 11 months from the first day of your intended stay at WDW you can book up to 7 days. What some people are doing during high attendance times is to is book a day or two early and then cancell the earlier days when they have secured what they want.

It really isn't that complicated unless you try to do it too many times. I didn't need to walk to get my reservations at Christmas week, I had no problem getting my BCV 2 bedroom,2Queens dedicated even though I called late in the day( 4pm) on Dec 26th. Again no problem when I added a day the next day and I called at 11:30. I would walk though if that is what I needed to do to get my reservation. I don't find it morally wrong LOL to book a day or two early so you aren't shut out of a room you want( I need two queen beds). Since most people who have done this have cancelled the extra day or days immediately I dont think this is a big issue. However what it does mean is to call back and check on availabilty for a few days after your initial reservation if you didn't get what you want

 

[Mich Mouse]

It's a shame people always have to beat try to beat the system, I'm sure if your not correct about the cancellation policy DVC will change it when they see enough people "walking" reservations. Then folks who really have to canx a day for a legitimate reason will be penalized. Also hear people talk about how they make dinner reservations at 3-4 resturants then decide at the last minute which they want to use. I hope your MS rep was right and DVc puts a stop to this, then we can all play by the same rules.

I think it is about best meeting the needs of individual families, not beating the system. If you really only have the option of vacationing at one particular time, and need specific accomodations, I don't think walking is wrong. I would always call day to day in the past, but now this is not possible. The 11 month window at 9:00 am does not guarantee anything anymore.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

Why would you need to walk more than a day or two at high season? I am not opposed to doing it but think it is unnecessary and a lot of work. I had no problem booking for Christmas week . If I thought I would, I would walk a day or two but don't think you need to do more than that.

 

[dzorn]

Why would you need to walk more than a day or too at high season? I am not opposed to doing it but think it is unnecessary and a lot of work. I had no problem booking for Christmas week . If I thought I would, I would walk a day or two but don't think you need to do more than that.

You do realize you posted on a thread were someone was shut out of the room they wanted when they waited and booked 11 months out. Obvious that shows it is needed sometimes.

Denise in MI

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

Of course I realize that the OP was shut out! My point is that if you are going to walk you probably only need to do so by a few days! I doubt that there are very many instances if any, where you would have to do this for weeks as one poster referred to. Even the OP just missed out on her ressie so if she had walked one day then she would have had it.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I ended up walking a reservation for an early Dec BWV SV studio a few weeks ago. We couldn't decide between the first or second weekend in Dec and I didn't call until early afternoon. All the SV studios were booked. So I called back the next day at 9 AM and was able to book 7 nights, but was still starting a day later than I wanted. I WLed for the first day.

A few days later, I called back, cancelled the first nights of my stay (&WL) and booked the nights needed for the following weekend. I had no preblem cancelling the earliest nights. -- Suzanne

 

[nunzia]

Wow, that all sounds very confusing! I wish we had the points to reserve all those extra nights, but unfortunately we don't. Also, I wouldn't want to tie up those nights for someone else who really wanted them. It seems like there should be a better or easier way of doing it. Thanks for explaining it though...

Agreed...

 

[drusba]

It is hard to criticize those who are currently doing "walking" as gaming the system. The system allows it and most of them are acting out of fear of the unknown as to whether this new system is going to ruin their ability to get what they used to be able to get by calling day by day during peak seasons when they were on an even footing with everyone calling for that day.

So far, based on the reports in another thread where members are reporting their successes, it appears that the only problem areas where members are being blocked out are for the specialty rooms that are small in number like the GVs or AKV concierge. The next few days will be critical as New Year's Eve is the highest demand day of the year and if persons first calling on January 31 to get it are still easily getting it except for those specialty rooms, then many should start breathing a sigh of relief and may start to assume that 'walking' will not be necessary except for those specialty rooms.

 

[DebbieB]

It's a shame people always have to beat try to beat the system, I'm sure if your not correct about the cancellation policy DVC will change it when they see enough people "walking" reservations. Then folks who really have to canx a day for a legitimate reason will be penalized. Also hear people talk about how they make dinner reservations at 3-4 resturants then decide at the last minute which they want to use. I hope your MS rep was right and DVc puts a stop to this, then we can all play by the same rules.

Someone posted that member services suggested "walking" to them. I doubt they want to put a stop to it.because I don't think they really care about the individual member. As long as DVC is going to allow it, I would do it for a stay important to me. Otherwise, someone else will beat me to it by doing it that way.

 

[Sheriff Woody]

I've never heard of this "walking" before. Somehow it don't seem fair. Booking dates you don't intend to use? Just seems so typical of the "me first, screw everyone else" attitude. I wouldn't expect to find that among DVC members.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I think it is about best meeting the needs of individual families, not beating the system. If you really only have the option of vacationing at one particular time, and need specific accomodations, I don't think walking is wrong. I would always call day to day in the past, but now this is not possible. The 11 month window at 9:00 am does not guarantee anything anymore.

Precisely.

MG

 

[MagicalPins]

I've never heard of this "walking" before. Somehow it don't seem fair. Booking dates you don't intend to use? Just seems so typical of the "me first, screw everyone else" attitude. I wouldn't expect to find that among DVC members.

It was Disney's decision to change the booking policy and give other members a booking advantage over others. Why should Joe get a crack at the room I want to book just because he stayed the night earlier? Its an unfair advantage to him that he can book other nights that other members can't book yet.

Walking a reservation evens out this unfair booking policy and gets all members on an equal shot to get the rooms they want when the booking window opens.

I don't consider it having a "me first, screw everyone else" attitude, I think of it more like a "I got a fastpass so I can go on Space Mountain at the time I want".

Also, I have never walked a reservation, I have never had a need since I don't book that far out but as soon as bookings open for the Grand Californian, you can defently bet that I will be using every policy that Disney has to help me get the room reservation I need.

 

[JenSop]

The thing is, is that walking favors people with more points. I am already thinking about our big family trip in 2012, where I am SO looking forward to a GV at AKV. (Needing to think ahead to manage points, of course!)

However, I don't know what our chances will be, because we can't just book a whole bunch of days in a GV and then choose which ones we want. Maybe I could do that for a smaller room, but I don't have enough points to do that for a GV. For people with LOTS of points, this isn't even an issue. I much preferred the day-by-day calling, as EVERY one was on equal footing.

 

[bjakmom]

It was Disney's decision to change the booking policy and give other members a booking advantage over others. Why should Joe get a crack at the room I want to book just because he stayed the night earlier? Its an unfair advantage to him that he can book other nights that other members can't book yet.

Walking a reservation evens out this unfair booking policy and gets all members on an equal shot to get the rooms they want when the booking window opens.

I don't consider it having a "me first, screw everyone else" attitude, I think of it more like a "I got a fastpass so I can go on Space Mountain at the time I want".

Also, I have never walked a reservation, I have never had a need since I don't book that far out but as soon as bookings open for the Grand Californian, you can defently bet that I will be using every policy that Disney has to help me get the room reservation I need.

Well said!! Who should we all be contacting to voice our concerns and complaints about this (relatively) new booking policy? As equal members of DVC we should have EQUAL ACCESS to booking dates - I just don't get what they were thinking!! (well, I do get that they were trying to cut down on phone calls) - as time goes by and more people get shut out I think they will have to rethink this policy.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

The thing is, is that walking favors people with more points. I am already thinking about our big family trip in 2012, where I am SO looking forward to a GV at AKV. (Needing to think ahead to manage points, of course!)

However, I don't know what our chances will be, because we can't just book a whole bunch of days in a GV and then choose which ones we want. Maybe I could do that for a smaller room, but I don't have enough points to do that for a GV. For people with LOTS of points, this isn't even an issue. I much preferred the day-by-day calling, as EVERY one was on equal footing.

Actually you can walk a GV reservation, even without enough points for a full week, as long as you have enough points for at least 2 weekend nights.

Say you call and book any 2 nights at the opening of the 11 month window. Another member calls tomorrow and wants to book a vacation in a GV starting at your 2nd night. At least one of the GVs will not be available for that night becuase you have already booked it. If the new member can't book that night, they also will not be able to book (or WL) the following night either, even though you have not booked it and it is still available.

So you call back on the 11 month booking window for day 2 and cancel your day 1 and book day 3. And so on, and so on, until you have the dates you want. In addition, there is no need to call at any particular time on the next day as no one calling before you can take your room on the 3rd day.

Obviously it is easier to walk a reservation forward if you can book 7 days becuase you do not need to call back nearly as often, say only every 6 days, but you CAN walk a reservation even when booking fewer days.

And by the way, this doesn't work at all for the 7 month window becuase any hoem resort memebr could book that 3rd day at any time. -- Suzanne

 

[DeeCee735]

How is this different from when bookings were 11 mths out from day of check out instead of check in? If I want to check in on the 7th for instance, and could call to book 11th months out day of check out (being the 14th), but another person was checking in on the 6th, and booking for a week, they'd be calling to book (a day) before me too, so how is it more difficult with the new way of booking 11mths out of day of check in?

What am I missing?

 

[CarolMN]

How is this different from when bookings were 11 mths out from day of check out instead of check in? If I want to check in on the 7th for instance, and could call to book 11th months out day of check out (being the 14th), but another person was checking in on the 6th, and booking for a week, they'd be calling to book (a day) before me too, so how is it more difficult with the new way of booking 11mths out of day of check in?

What am I missing?

It's no different if you booked your stay with only one call.

However, under the old system, most members booked the popular times/units on a day by day basis. For example, if your dates were 12/7 -12/14, you call on 1/8 and book the night of 12/7. On 1/9, you called and added the night of 12/8. On 1/10, you called and added the night of 12/9. And so on until your entire week was booked.

All who owned at your resort had the exact same opportunity to book each day on an individual basis. It didn't matter what your vacation dates were. This resulted in "reservation holes" for some members. Maybe they were able to book the some nights but weren't quite fast enough to get them all. They had to waitlist for the missing nights.

The new system is better at preventing holes, but does give those who arrive first an advantage. The old system resulted in lots and lots of unnecessary calls - many called day by day even though there was no need.

Anyway, it's a done deal. DVC decided the new system is better for the overall membership. With only a few exceptions, the new system is not preventing members from getting what they want at the 11 month window.

 

[DeeCee735]

Thank you for your answer. I never did call day by day, so I wasn't at all thinking along those lines, I appreciate you clearing it up for me. I hope I can get what I want when I call this week! But I don't panic, as I've always had pretty good experiences with my first choice.

Have a great day!

 

[JenSop]

Actually you can walk a GV reservation, even without enough points for a full week, as long as you have enough points for at least 2 weekend nights.

Say you call and book any 2 nights at the opening of the 11 month window. Another member calls tomorrow and wants to book a vacation in a GV starting at your 2nd night. At least one of the GVs will not be available for that night becuase you have already booked it. If the new member can't book that night, they also will not be able to book (or WL) the following night either, even though you have not booked it and it is still available.

So you call back on the 11 month booking window for day 2 and cancel your day 1 and book day 3. And so on, and so on, until you have the dates you want. In addition, there is no need to call at any particular time on the next day as no one calling before you can take your room on the 3rd day.

Obviously it is easier to walk a reservation forward if you can book 7 days becuase you do not need to call back nearly as often, say only every 6 days, but you CAN walk a reservation even when booking fewer days.

And by the way, this doesn't work at all for the 7 month window becuase any hoem resort memebr could book that 3rd day at any time. -- Suzanne

-Actually, that's what I'm thinking we'll have to do. We have 160 points, so that means we have a total of 480 through banking and borrowing. With the new point scale, a GV at AKV for Sunday-Thursday nights is 92 points a night in the summer. So I was thinking I could book for four nights starting on the Friday before the week we want, then walk it until I get the Sunday-Thursday nights? (Ending with the five nights, checking in on Sunday and leaving on Friday day.) Does that make sense? Am I thinking this through correctly?

Although, I am hoping to do an add on before that point if possible.... (But not a big enough one to be able to drastically change our situation.)